Method and apparatus for dispensing



Oct. 9, 1956 GRAHAM 2,765,909

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING Filed Dec. 30, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR. LAWRENCE A- GRAHAM BY 7x 4 ATTORNEYS Oct. 9, 1956 A. GRAHAMMETHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 50, 1954INVENTOR LAWRENCE A. GRAHAM ATTORNEYS United grates Patent 2,765,909METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING Lawrence A. Graham, Hoiyoke, Mass.,assignor to Graham Manufacturing Company, Inc, Hoiyoke, Mass., acorporation of Massachusetts Application December 30, 1934, Serial No.478,621 2 Claims. (Cl. 20657) This invention relates to a dispensingarrangement for folded paper towels or tissues, or the like, and inparticular relates to a container and a supporting arrangement for thecontainer in which the towels or tissues are placed.

A relatively common article of commerce comprises paper towels arrangedin an endless strip or roll, with the roll being perforated betweensuccessive towels, and with the roll being adapted for being supportedin a holder so that the strip of toweling can be drawn therefrom andindividual towels torn from the strip.

This arrangement, while generally fairly satisfactory, involves thedisadvantage in that it often requires two hands to remove the towelfrom a roll in order to prevent the roll from unwinding rather than thetowel tearing off at the perforation line.

Paper towels and disposable paper tissues are also quite often packagedin a box, usually with an opening in one wall of the al towels andindividually, but involves the disadvantage that the box is notconveniently located in a fixed place at all times.

Having the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the presentinvention to provide an arrangement for dispensing paper towels andtissues in such a manner as to embody the advantages of both of theknown methods referred to above.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of anarrangement for dispensing paper towels and tissues, and the like, sothat the towels and tissues can be packaged in a box at the time ofmanufacture thereby insuring sterile conditions and ease of handling andstoring, and with the said box being adapted for being supported in afixed position in a holder or the like for ease in dispensing thetissues or towels from the box.

A particular object of this invention is the provision of a box in whichtowels or tissues are placed in a conventional manner, which isespecially adapted for being supported in a wall-hung bracket somewhatin the manner that rolls of paper toweling or tissues are now supportedin such brackets.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a box inwhich paper towels or tissues can be packaged adapted for being suportedin a conventional bracket constructed for receiving a roll of papertowels.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will becomemore apparent upon reference to the following specification, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a box or carton according to myinvention supported in a wall-hung bracket;

Figure 2 is a Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 1, but showing anarrangement in which the supporting memplan sectional view of thearrangement of her which engages the carton is of a somewhat differentshape than the one illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view showing a carton or box supported on a supportingmember of still another shape;

Figures 5 and 6 are perspective views showing how the end walls of thecarton can be formed with apertures of further different configurationsfor receiving supporting members to support the carton in a stationarybracket;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a modified arrangement according to myinvention showing a different arrangement of the recesses in the ends ofthe carton for receiving the support members of the support bracket, andalso showing a different arrangement of the opening in the front throughwhich the articles are removed from the carton;

Figure 8 is a perspective view showing one end of the carton accordingto Figure 7 with the flaps on the end of the carton open outwardly; and

Figure 9 is a action on the articles within the carton being supported.

Figure 10 is a side elevational view showing a carton supported onbracket arms having non-circular supporting members which preventrotation of the carton when towels are withdrawn therefrom.

Referring to the drawings somewhat in more detail, Figure 1 shows a boxor carton 10 within which is disposed, in folded, interleaved relation,paper towels or disposable paper tissues 12 that are accessible throughthe opening 14 in the front wall of the carton which is closed up to thetime the carton is placed in use by the tear strip 16.

According to the present invention the carton 10 is adapted for beingsupported in a stationary bracket 18 that may be, for example, fixed toa wall 20. Bracket 18 may be of special manufacture or may consist of aconventional bracket of the nature manufactured for receiving rolls ofpaper towels.

The bracket 18 comprises the end portions 22 that extend along theopposite end walls of carton 10, and which end portions have securedthereto the cylindrical plug members 24 which are received in theapertures 26 in the end walls of the carton.

The end portions 22 of the bracket are either pivotally or resilientlyconnected with the back portion of the bracket so that they can readilybe sprung outwardly, or swung outwardly to permit the carton to beplaced therebetween.

As will be seen in Figure 2, the carton 10 preferably extends to aposition close to or immediately adjacent the rear portion of thebracket 18 so that the carton is held in the upright position in whichit is illustrated in Figure 1. This makes it quite easy to pull thetowels or tissues from the carton without it tilting during thisoperation.

As will be seen in Figure 3, the supporting members 24 could be of adifferent shape than they are illustrated in Figures 1 and 2; forexample square as at 28, and this shape of supporting member will, initself, prevent the carton from tilting when the towels are drawntherefrom, thereby making it unnecessary to make the bracket of such asize that the back wall of the carton is closely adjacent the backportion of the bracket.

As will be seen in Figure 4, the supporting member, indicated at 30therein, could be of an octangular shape, and this supporting membercould be either received in an octagonal hole in the end walls of thecarton, or the carton could be formed with circular holes, as in thecase of the Figure 1 modification, and substantially equivalent resultswould obtain.

In Figure 5 the apertures in the end walls of the carton are shown asthe elongated vertical slot means 32, and the supporting bracket could,of course, be provided with correspondingly shaped supporting members.

In Figure 6 the apertures are in the form of the crossshapedconfiguration 34, and an aperture of this nature could either receive across-shaped supporting member or could receive a supporting member ofthe nature illustrated in Figure 5.

In connection with any of the apertures formed in the end wall of thecarton, it will be understood that a closure piece could be retained inthe aperture similarly to the manner in which the tear strip 16 isretained in aperture 14, thus providing for a completely sealed cartonuntil the user removes the tear strip from the front wall and eitherremoves the closure pieces in the apertures of the end walls of thecarton, or pushes them to the inside of the carton so that thesupporting members can be received in the apertures.

It will be understood, however, that the carton of the present inventionhas a full measure of utility in the absence of the supporting bracketmerely by removing the tear strip 16 therefrom so that towels or tissuescan be removed therefrom in a conventional manner.

Referring now to Figures 7 through 9, there is shown therein a carton 50in which the opening 52 in the front of the carton, through which thearticles 54 contained in the carton are withdrawn, is formed with thenarrower end portions of the opening being arcuate lengthwise as at 56.

This configuration is readily imparted to the opening at the time theperforations outlining the tear strip are punched into the carton blank.The provision of the curved portions at the narrow ends of the openingprovide for a certain amount of friction or resistance to movement ofthe articles that are being withdrawn from the carton.

Another feature of the modification of Figures 7 through 9 is to befound in the apertures provided in the end walls of the carton forreceiving the support members for the supporting bracket.

As will be seen in Figures 8 and 9, the recesses for receiving thesupporting members 58 are provided by the punched holes 60 and 62 in theouter flaps 64 and 66 of the carton blank. The end walls of the cartonalso comprise the half flaps 68 and 70, and these half flaps areprovided with the recessed portions 72 and 74, which align with eachother to form a recess that will register with the holes 60 and 62 inthe outer flaps when the carton is made up.

This arrangement results, as will be seen in Figure 9, in the inner halfflaps being pressed inwardly against the ends of the articles wit 'n thecarton as at 76, thus providing a gripping action thereon that will tendto hold'the articles upright within the carton as they are dispensedtherefrom.

This arrangement also permits the carton to remain entirely sealedwithout requiring the outer fiaps to have punch-out openings on the endof the carton for receiving the support members of the bracket in whichthe carton is mounted.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modificationin order to "adapt it to different usages and conditions, andaccordingly it is desired to comprehend such modifications within thisinvention as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

1 claim:

1. A rectangular box for detachable mounting between spaced end membersextending from a bracket and containing interleaved disposable papersheet-like articles stacked from front to back therein, said box havingfront, back, top, bottom, and end walls, said back wall facing towardsaid bracket and spaced therefrom, there being means defining anelongated slot in said front wall to provide a dispensing opening forsaid disposable paper articles, said end walls comprising engaging innerflaps and two overlapping outer flaps, said end walls having means forsupporting the box between said spaced end members, said end wallshaving apertures through said outer flaps only, said apertures beinglocated in about the center of said end walls so that said box issubstantially balanced relative to its points of support, said innerflaps being unapertured and having recessed portions therein registeringwith said apertures for receiving portions of said spaced end members tosupport said box therebetween.

2. A rectangular box for detachable mounting between spaced end membersextending from a bracket and containing interleaved disposable papersheet-like articles stacked from front to back therein, said box havingfront, back, top, bottom and end walls, said back wall facing towardsaid bracket and spaced therefrom, there being means defining anelongated slot in said front wall to provide a dispensing opening forsaid disposable paper articles, said end walls comprising inner flapswith the ends thereof engaging and two overlapping outer flaps with eachbeing of a size to substantially cover an end wall, said end wallshaving means for supporting the box between said spaced end members,said end walls having circular apertures through said outer flaps only,said inner flaps being unapertured.

References Cited in the file of this patent 'UNITED STATES PATENTS578,552 Ebersold Mar. 9, 1897 1,824,862 Young Sept. 29, 1931 2,169,399Steiner Aug. 15, 1939 2,620,153 Haskell Dec. 2, 1952 2,655,338 StogerOct. 13, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 517,529 Great Britain Feb. 1, 1940 66,086Norway Apr. 12, 1943

